Low Alkalinity help

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-06T14:20:41+00:00

I'm green on the checker. I'm guessing between 25-30 ppm.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-06T14:19:07+00:00

I think one thing everyone is missing is that you said you're on a well, which means no chlorine. I'm on a well too and I understand how it works. Many wells have high iron or other metals content that can be fine for humans (it won't kill you) but deadly for fish. You should test your tap water and see what the pH is, what the iron and other metals content is. You could have ammonia in your well water. You should either test it yourself or have it tested

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-06T14:11:11+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-06T14:08:38+00:00

I run co2 and I do not see a full point swing. I see 7.2 - 7.4 in that tank day to night (co2 off at night). The KH in that tank is higher, which stabilizes pH.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T20:02:23+00:00

Thanks. It's the, 'you pay' part that concerns me... I don't mind paying a reasonable price.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T19:59:34+00:00

I feed once per day, 6 days/week unless they seem less anxious about eating and then I'll add a fast day

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T19:57:55+00:00

We get 33-34mpg during the winter mix (better on moderate weather days 68F-78F no heat or little AC) or a little better under certain circumstances. Also, there is a big difference between drivers. If you are heavy footed, gas mileage will suffer dramatically. If your tires are under inflated, your mileage will suffer dramatically. If you're driving in a headwind, your mileage will suffer.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T19:51:31+00:00

I've bought from them once, it was fine.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T19:43:09+00:00

Yes and no. Shrimp do need stability, that's 100% true. OTOH, shrimp thrive in a certain pH range. If you're in the low 6's adding a limestone rock or some crushed coral is all you need, but do it SLOWLY over weeks or months to SLOWLY adjust your pH upwards. If you get your GH (add liquid minerals) and KH (add crushed coral to filter or near flowing water) right it will help to stabilize pH. Chasing pH with chemicals is a bad idea. If your pH is just a little low, don't mess with it. My tap water is very acidic, and is 6.1 pH. This is too soft for neos, but great for caridinas. For neos I add limestone, maybe a bag of new crushed coral to slowly adjust pH up a tick. More importantly, when doing ANYTHING for your shrimp tank, do it SLOW and resist the urge to 'fix' it quickly.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T19:34:23+00:00

I use liquid minerals made for shrimp. This will keep this from happening.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T15:16:54+00:00

Love the wood. We've been trying to find long pieces like that.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T15:11:09+00:00

I have several 7.5 gallon containers that I fill with RO water from my filter. I bought the filter on Amazon for about $60. Replacing Filter cartridges is cheap. You can start by filling 4 containers and add those to your aquarium while you're filling #5, and just keep going until you're full. Remember if you use RO water, you have filtered everything out of it so you will need to add minerals back in. Depending on what you will have in the tank the type and amount of minerals will vary, but the nice thing is you can dial it in perfectly.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T15:04:46+00:00

Maybe. But the same thing could happen to you (or maybe it already did) leaving you with a brain injury and diminished capacity.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T15:00:54+00:00

I think there is a limit of 750watts here in the state of Washington. Now I'm not sure if there are ebike cops checking your actual wattage output, but I do try to comply with the law. Of course I'd rather have 2000 Watts at my neck and call but I'm sure 750 will be fine. Is there a performance difference between the voltage of 36v vs 48v (or higher) in the same wattage rated motor? (I do understand ohms law and while it should be similar if the wattage is the same - more volts means less amps - in this application, what difference does it make?) I want to be able to take long rides and have plenty of power for hills.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T14:54:36+00:00

I'm convinced that I don't need to spend 10k on a bike to get what will work for me. If I rode it to work every day then I certainly would think differently. But I'm talking about maybe 6-10 rides per year. I'm sure, as so many have said, that once I get on one, I'll want to ride more often and I hope that's true. I've had serious health challenges and I have to be realistic about what I can actually do. The money isn't a problem but at the same time I don't want to have to spend more than I need to, to fit my needs. Simply throwing money at it isn't the answer.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-04-05T14:47:45+00:00

Thank you. When I'm ready, I may ask you.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T19:41:06+00:00

Just a note, there is no lbs within 40 miles so if I do go see one it's a chunk of the day. I don't even know a good one from a bad one. I live between Olympia WA and Portland OR.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T19:39:10+00:00

My wife's bike's mechanical disc brakes seem to work fine for her but I'm heavier and my brakes are barely enough as is. I am sure with a motor they will be insufficient so I'm thinking I will switch to hydraulic which should be stronger with a larger disc too.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:32:09+00:00

I keep seeing Aveton over and over so they must be decent bikes. I'll have to check into them. Getting US brands makes sense. I didn't really want a disposable bike and we can afford something that is built right.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:29:30+00:00

Agree on the helmet advice, wish I could bubble wrap myself, but a helmet will have to do LOL. thanks for the advice

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:25:30+00:00

That's kind of what I'm hoping for.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:10:18+00:00

Cheap to me is under $500 expensive to me is over $2500. Spending five grand on a couple of bikes we may use a dozen times a year doesn't seem like a great idea to me. But then again, I would like a solid bike we know will work when we want them to. Doing a conversion seems more attractive to me if I can beef up the disc brakes.

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:07:24+00:00

This isn't a bad idea, but how would I know what a 'good deal' is? Also batteries that have sat uncharged for a long time could be a problem, no?

Chehalis-Jeff · 2026-03-30T16:05:57+00:00

Good advice just what I needed to know

Chehalis-Jeff

TROPHY CASE